According to "Varzesh 3", Al Wasl players were informed this morning that their flight to Riyadh for the match against Al-Nassr in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite has been removed from the schedule and they will remain in Dubai. Meanwhile, Al Wasl has officially informed the Asian Football Confederation of its inability to reach Riyadh and is awaiting a final decision regarding the match schedule.

Issa Saeed, a well-known Omani journalist covering Asian competitions, stated that the AFC Competitions Committee must determine whether Al Wasl's failure to reach Riyadh falls under the force majeure conditions stipulated in Article 67 of the AFC Champions League Elite regulations. If this situation is accepted as an event beyond the club's control, the match will be postponed and a new date will be set.

The Omani journalist explained that if the Competitions Committee does not accept Al Wasl's reasons, the case will be referred for disciplinary action, and there is even a possibility of declaring a default defeat for the team according to the regulations. The arrival of the match commissioner and the refereeing team in Riyadh, along with the review of alternative travel options, are among the factors that will be considered when making the final decision.

Al Wasl Club has not yet publicly announced the exact reason for its failure to travel, but this issue coincides with widespread disruptions in flights to Saudi Arabia. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was taken out of normal operation for more than two weeks following recent attacks, and limited operations in Terminals 1 and 2 resumed starting today.

Air route disruptions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue. Flydubai has canceled its flights to Riyadh, Dammam, and Abha until October 29, and several other airlines have suspended or limited their flight schedules to Saudi cities. This situation indicates that Al Wasl's travel issue is related to the security and operational crisis at Saudi airports, although official explanations from the Emirati club and a decision from the AFC remain pending.

This is not the first time recent attacks have affected football matches in Riyadh. The match between Al-Nassr and Neftchi Fergana in the second week of the AFC Champions League Elite started with a one-hour delay following a security warning from Saudi Civil Defense and the sound of an explosion in the capital. That match ultimately ended in a 3-1 victory for Al-Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring one of the hosts' goals.

In addition to Al Wasl being one of Tractor's and Esteghlal's opponents, the uncertainty surrounding the match is considered significant for Iranian football fans from another aspect, as Mehdi Taremi is one of Al Wasl's key players in the current season. Taremi played in Al Wasl's previous two Elite League matches against Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli Saudi, but his team lost both games. This match could have set the stage for his face-off with Ronaldo, the holding of which is currently unclear.

Source: Varzesh 3